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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · cap · mate · net · rest · row · ruler · saw

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — after costs
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cap — a lid
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. net — for catching
  17. saw — the tool
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mate — to breed
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cap — of ice
  22. row — a line
  23. suit — to fit
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com